Contact staff for cranes



Aug. 18, 1931- c. 'r. WOODBURN CONTACT STAFF" FOR CRANES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1931 4 v 4 ll ill p l llli f lil lk Aug. l8, 1931.

C. T; WOODBURN CONTACT STAFF FOR CRANES Filed March 4, 1931 3 Sheets-S heat 2 L'II'IIJ E I "wza w i $0M.

Aug. 18, 1931.

GT. WOODBURN CONTACT STAFF FOR CRANES Filed March 4, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 'GHARLES'T. WOODB URN, F PITCAIRN, PENNSYLVANIA CONTACT STAFF FOR CRANES- Application filed March 4, 1931.

L My inventionrelates to the transmission of electricity to vehicles, and particularly is directed to a device for supporting the shoes or wheels which ride conductors to collect electric current for operating the vehicle.

Although the invention finds application in many electrically driven vehicles, it is especially adapted for use in overhead cranes and in such adaptation I shall describe it.

More specifically the invention comprises means by which collecting shoes (or trolley wheels) are carried-0n a crane and in contact with conductors. The collecting shoes are adapted to be released and to shift outof con tact with the conductors, and, while they are in such released position, the shoes are further adapted to be swung angularly away from said conductors. My object is to provide means which permit a crane to be electrically disconnected from its power conductors, while leaving current on the conductors in .order that other cranes receiving energy from the same conductors can continue in op- .eration. Safety to repair workmen, while avoiding a general shut-down of the power conductors, is an end in view, simplicity of structure andcertain-ty of operation are other matters with which I have concerned myself.

In Fig. I of the accompanying drawings an 7 embodiment of the invention is shown in perspective; thecarriage of a crane and an associated three phase conducting system are fragmentarily indicated; Fig. II is a fragmentary view of the device, to larger scale,

and in cross sectionon the plane indicated by theline i[III, Fig. I; Fig. III is a view in side elevation of a shoe-supporting lever .of more elaborate structure 'than'that which is shown in Fig. II; Figsl IV and V are sectional views of the elaborated lever, taken respectively on the ,planes IV-IV and V-V of III; Fig. V1 'is a view of the lower supporting structure of the device; and Fig. "VII shows in plan from above, while Fig.

' VIIIshows to smaller'scale in side elevation,

:a lock for securing the device in closed or operating position. a I

Referring to Fig. I of the drawings, the numerals 1, 2 and 3 are applied to those typical .frame elements of an overhead crane Serial No. 520,092.

which are, as a matter of convenience, utilized to support my safety collecting device.

In this particular case I show angle bars as the conductors; such bars are installed beside the path along which the crane moves; they are electrically united, and connected to .a source ofelectric power. Three lines (a, b and c) of conductors are illustrated in this case, indicating a three phase electric system, and it will be understood that a contact device rid'es each conductor, to afford moving connections between the conductors and the motors of the crane. The contact devices are here shown as shoes S, each of which slides upon a conductor.

The shoe-carrying device, generally referred to as the collecting device, comprises a staff 4 which is secured adjacent its top to the frame member 1 of the cranes carriage. By means of bracing members 5 and 6, the stall 4 is laterally supported at its lower end. Brackets 7 and 8 are rigidly attached to the crane member 1, and the staff 4 is hinge-connected at 9 to the bracket 7 while the bracket 8 is provided with a looking device, generally indicated at 10, for securing the staff in its illustrated, operative position (of Fig. I). The supporting memher 5 is, conveniently, secured to the crane member 3; and at the lower end of member 5 the support 6 is secured. "The support or brace 6 is provided with a hinge element 11 at its right-hand terminal, and it extends to the left, past the brace 5, where it is secured to any convenient portion of the bridge '(not shown) or carriage of the crane. An arm 12 is bolted to the staff, and is equipped with a member 11a, so that an articular connection may be made, as indeed such connection is made, between members 6 and 12. Accordingly, the stafi 4 is adapted to swing on an axis extending through the hinge connections 9 and 11, 11a. Inits operative position a locking device 10, as said, secures the staff 4, that is, secures its upper terminus. A locking device. is also'associated with the members 6 and 12; it comprises a shank 13 with a bifurcated end 14'; the shank 13 is supported and vertically slidable in a support 15, secured to the brace b. As may be seen to advantage in Fig. VI, the bifurcated end 14 of the locking shank is adapted to embrace the flanges 6a and 12a of the members 6 and 12; these flanges lie against each other when the staff is in operative position, that is to say, in position for maintaining the shoes S upon the conductors a, b and 0. Further positive locking is afforded by means of a pin 16. This pin is secured to the end of shank 13, and projects through aligned orifices in the adjoining flanges 6?) and 12?), which form, respectively, elements of the members 6 and 12.

As will presently appear, the shoes S are adapted to be removed from contact with the conductors. Obviously, such removal of the shoes S will break electrical communication between the conductors and the crane, but to provide additional safety and assurance that the shoes may not be inadvertently shifted into contact with the charged conductors, I have made the above-mentioned provision for swinging the staff 4. After the shoes S are removed from the conductors, the locking device 10 is released, the shank 13 raised to disengage the flanges of the members 6 and 12, and the staff 4 swung upon its hinges to an open position. The range of such swing is approximately ninety degrees, and it is desirable that the staff be locked in such open position, to prevent accidental swinging of the staff toward the conductors. Advantageously, holes 17 and 18 are provided in the members 6 and 12 respectively; these holes come into registry when the staff is swung to its open position, and a bolt or pin may be dropped through these aligned holes to stay the staff, as desired.

Figs. VII and VIII show in detail the locking device 10 which is associated with the upper end of staff 4 and bracket 8. As with other members of my device, the staff 4 is of such character that standard structural steel members may be utilized in its construction. In this case the stafl' 4 is formed of a channel beam whose one flange 4a is adapted to rest snugly against an appropriately inclined portion 8a of the bracket 8. The up per end of the flange 4a is extended and bent in such manner that it overlaps the top edge of bracket 8. Conveniently, this edge of the bracket is offset at 19 to accommodate such overlapping. To the bracket 8 a lockmounting member 20 is secured, and ,to mem ber 20 there are pivoted two keepers 21 and 22. A shaft 23 is revolubly borne by the two keepers 21, 22, and to the upper end of this shaft a latch member 24 is fixed, while to the lower end of the shaft a latch 25 is rigidly secured. The outer ends (see 247)) of the latch members 24 and 25 are particularly formed to cooperate with complementary latching members 26 and 27, which latter -members are shown as comprising a prolongation of the elements which are utilized to eflect the hinge mounting 9. The latching member 24 is extended inwardly to provide a handle 28.

When the staff is in its closed or operative posit-ion the two keepers (21, 22) are hooked over the corner 4?) of the stafl, and the latching members 24, 25 are nested within the complementary members 26, 27, as indicated in Fig. VII. This interengagement of the latching members 24, 26 and 25, 27 retains the device in locked condition, so long as the handle 28 is in its illustrated position, and

to insure that the handle shall remain so, I

provide a hole 29 (in the mounting member 20) in which a pin (not shown) or other suitable keeper is placed to prevent movement of the handle 28. WVhen it is desirable to swing the staff 4 on its hinged mounting, the hole 29 is cleared of its keeper, whereupon the handle. being deprived of restraint is pulled away from its location against the side of bracket 8. This swinging of the handle 28 causes the latch member 24 and 25 to turn about the axis of shaft 23, and in so turning the tips (247)) of the latching members (24, 25) are released or withdrawn from the members 26, 27, while the heel portions (24a) of each latch member slides upon the face of flange 4a, forcing the keepers. 21, 22 to swing, on theirpivotal attachment to the mounting member 20, free of corner 4?) of the staff. 7 Assuming that the lower locking device (6, 12, 13) has been first released, the staff now may be swung outward and away from the conductors.

In proceeding to describe the structure of the stafl itself, I again remark that it comprises a structural channel beam for supportingthe shoes. The shoes are not carried immediately by the staff; each shoe is borne at the outer end of a lever 30 which is 22ft its inner end swingably affixed to the sta In Fig. II, I show only the uppermost lecontacting the conductor a. Description of this one of the several levers will suflioe for all. In this particular instance, I show the shoe S secured by a pin 31 to'the lever 30, but it is to be understood that any convenient means may be employed to secure the shoe to the arm 30. Additionally, if a rolling contact with the conductor (instead of a wiping contact) be preferred, it will be apparent that a trolley wheel can be readily secured to the lever. A cable 32 .is electrically united at 33 to the shoe S, and the cable, of course, is connected to the devices of the crane which require electric energy.

The contacts S essentially are insulated from the staff, and in Figs. III, IV and V, there is shown a lever which is effective to this end; it comprises two sections 34 and 35 bolts 36, to provide a lever that is non-conwhich are united, conveniently by means of.

the outer end 39 of this sectional lever will be insulated from the levers end 40, where attachment to the stafi is made.

Insulation is provided upon the staff itself, and for ordinary voltages this insulation is sufiicient; that is to say, the elaborated lever 34, 35' need not in all casesybe employed, the less specialized lever (shown in Fig. II) being satisfactory. The insulation upon the staff comprises a block 41 of wood or other suitable insulating material which is inlaid between the flanges of the channel beam and there secured. To. this block 41 a bracket 42 is secured, there being such a bracket for each lever 30. Each lever 30 is pivotally connected to its associated'bracket, as indicated at 44 in Fig. II, and each lever includes a relatively short arm 45. To this short arm resilient means are connected, to urge yieldingly the outer end of the lever 30 in such direction as to tend to maintain the shoe S in contact with the conductor a. v

The resilient means for so urging the lever 30 consist of a rod 46 which at its one end is pin-connected to the short arm 45 of the lever, and, by means of a nut 47, is supported at its otherend in the leg 48a of a bell-crank 48. The other leg 48?) of the bell-crank is pivotally secured to a releasing pole '49. A sleeve 50 of fibre or other non-conductive material, together with insulating washers 51, electrically separates the leg 48?) from the pole 49. VVh'en' in operative condition 7 (that is, when the shoes S. are in engagement with the conductors a, Z), and 0 for normal operation of the crane) the pole 49 is supported in its illustratedposition by means of a lever arm 52which at its left-hand end bears against the nether surfacev of'a pin 53 that is secured to the releasing pole 491 It will .be understood, therefore, that under normal operating conditions the bell-crank 48,.is fixed substantially in the position in which it is indicated in Fig. II. It will be perceived thatthe bell-crankv 48 is pivotally secured at 54 to a bracket 55; the bracket 55 is borne by the. insulating block 41, and in i order that the bracket'55, or any of its associated elements, will not contact the channel beam 4 and so destroy its insulated arrangement, the central web of the channel beam is cut away at 56.

The nut 47, which is in threaded engagement with the leg 48a of the bell-crank, is not in threaded engagement with the rod 46, but so fits the rod as to admit of sliding movement of the rod within the nut. A washer 57 is located upon such rod and is adapted to bear against the said nut. Between the head 46a of the rod 46. and the washer 57 there is located a compression spring 58. Manifestly, this spring tends to move the rod 46 in an axial direction, i. e. toward the right in Fig. II. The force of the spring, through the effect of lever arm 45, tends to swing the lever 30 upward and to maintain the shoe S in contact with the conductor a. Since the nut 47 is adjustable in the arm 48a of the bell-crank, which for present considerations may be considered an immovable thing, it is obvious that the compressive forces of the spring 58 may be adjusted by an appropriate turning of the nut.

If the releasing pole 49 is shifted downward, the, bell-crank 48 will rotate counterclockwise upon its. pivotal support 54, and in so rotating will shift the nut 47, allowing the spring 58 to expand freely, destroying the forces in the spring which tend to maintain the shoe in contact with the conductor. The

thrust upon the arm 45 being thus removed,

the lever 30 and its shoe S will drop away from the conductor. The shoes for each conductor are supported in the above-described manner by the staff .4, and likewise the shoesupporting linkages are each connected to the releasing pole 49', so that, as'the releasing pole is lowered, the shoes will simultaneously drop and break contact with their associated conductors. When the shoes have been so removed from the conductors, the workman next releases the two locking devices 10 and 6, 12, 13, and swings the stalf upon its hinges 9 and 11, 11a. So, the staff 4 is brought to open position, where, as hereinbefore described, it is stayed by means of a pin located within the registering holes 17 and 18 of the lower staff-supporting members 6 and 12, respectively.

Particularly effective means are provided for the support and the release of the pole 49. The arm 52, is fulcrumed intermediate its length in an eye bolt 60. The shank of the ,eye bolt is threadedand is in engagement with the threaded bore of a' sleeve 61 which is revolublein a supporting housing 62, the housing 62 being secured to the brackets 7 and 8. Ahand wheel 63 is, conveniently, secured. tojthe sleeve 61, whereby the sleeve may be appropriately rotated to raise or to lower the, fulcrum support of the lever 52. V

The right-hand end (Fig. II) of the lever 52 is normally prevented from rising (due to the downward pull of the releasing pole 49 on theleft-hand end of the lever) by means of a 'detent 64. While thelever is thus prevent-ed A from rotating, the hand wheel may be turned l hand end of'the lever. Accordingly,.the vertical position of the releasing pole 49 may be ten adjusted, and'the angular disposition of the bell-cranks 48 regulated.

The detent 6 L advantageously is in form a bell-crank which is pivotally mounted, at 65, upon a support 66. One arm (64a) of the detent rests upon the lever 52, while its other .arm (6%) is provided with a slot-and-pin connection to a plunger rod 67. The rod 67 is provided with a handle 68 at its upper end, and, upon pulling the rod upwardly, the bell-crank 64 is swung counter-clockwise, shiftingthe arm 64a to clear the lever 52. Thereupon, freed of restraint, the lever swings under the weight of release pole 49, and immediately the shoes S move out of contact with the several conductors. The staff is then swung onits hinges, as above mentioned.

I contemplate remotely controlling the release of pole a9, and find that the rod 67 may be (as, in fact, it is) formed of magnetizable metal, and may constitute a movable core within an electromagnet 69. The engineer will know how to wire the magnet so that an electric circuit may be closed to energize the magnet and thereby to effect the rise of the rod 67, and the release of the detent.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for collecting from a conductor electric energy for a moving vehicle, the combination of a staff, a support for said stalf, a lever pivotally borne by said staff and projecting angularly therefrom, a contact device carried at the outer end of said lever, yielding means associated with said lever for the maintenance of said contact device upon said conductor, releasing means associated with said lever, whereby the contact device is adapted to be removed from said conductor, and a hinged connection between said support and said stall, whereby said stall, lever, and contact device are adapted to be swung away from the conductor.

2. In a device for collecting from a plurality of conductors electric energy for a moving vehicle, the combination of a staff, a support for said stafi, a plurality of levers pivotally borne by said stafi' and projecting angularly therefrom and toward said conductors, a contact device carried at the outer end of each of said levers, yielding means associated with each lever for the maintenance of its associated contact device upon one of said conductors, releasing means associted with said levers, whereby the contact devices are adapted to be removed from the V conductors, and a hinged connection between said support and said staff, whereby said stall, levers, and contact devices, are adapted to be swung away from the conductors.

3. The structure of the next preceding claim, in which said releasing means are jointly connected to said levers, whereby several contact devices are adapted to be released simultaneously.

my hand.

- 4. Ina device for collecting from aconductor electric energy for a moving vehicle, the combination of a staff, a support for said stall, a lever pivotally borne by said staff and projecting angularly therefrom, a contact device carried at the outer end of said stall, lever, and contact device are adapted to 7 be swung away from the conductor, and locking means for the maintenance of said stall in each of its above-indicated positions.

5. In a device for collecting from a plurality of conductors electric energy for a moving vehicle, thecombination of a stall, a support for said staff, a plurality of levers pivotally borne by said staff and projecting angularly therefrom and toward said conductors, electric insulation interposed in said structure bet-ween said levers and said staff, yielding means associated with each lever for the maintenance of its associated contact device upon one of said conductors, releasing means associated with said levers, whereby L the contact devices are adapted to be removed from the conductors, a hinged conneetion between said support and said stall, whereby said staff, levers, and contact devices are adapted to be swung away from the conductors, and locking means for the maintenance of sa1d staff 1n each of its above- 7 indicated positions.

6. In a device for collecting from a conductor electric energy for a moving vehicle,

device upon saidconductor, releasing means,

whereby the contact device is adapted to be removed from said conductor, and a hinged connection between said support and said staff, whereby said stall, contact device, and the supporting means for said contact device are adapted to be swung away from the conductor. v I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set CHARLES T. WOODBURN. 

